Chapter 24

*Thud!*

A heavy sound echoed.

It was the sound of Ariel’s hand striking Cobin’s face.

Cobin flew straight into the wall, then fell to the floor.

And he didn’t move.

“……”

Silence fell over the banquet hall.

People blinked their eyes but couldn’t speak.

In their minds, they wondered if it was physically possible for a human to fly in a straight line like that.

The first to move was Cobin’s guard, Marcus.

After all, Marcus was the only one who could take care of Cobin here.

Marcus approached Cobin.

‘What the….’

Cobin’s condition was serious.

His eyes were rolled back, and foam was dripping from his mouth.

His limbs were bent in grotesque directions, like a crumpled bug.

Still, he was breathing faintly, so he wasn’t dead yet.

The wall Cobin had crashed into was dented, and the floor was scattered with his teeth, including his buckteeth.

‘Just from a swing of her hand…?’

Marcus couldn’t believe the situation.

From Marcus’s perspective, Ariel hadn’t used any magic.

She had simply swung her hand reflexively in response to Cobin’s sneak attack.

Yet, Cobin was nearly beaten to death.

Judging by the dent in the wall, Cobin’s bones were likely shattered.

He might have sustained injuries that would never heal.

‘Well, he brought it upon himself….’

Marcus clicked his tongue and hoisted Cobin onto his shoulder.

After all, Cobin had proposed the duel and initiated the sneak attack. Ariel had merely reacted.

So, Marcus had only one thing to do.

Take the unconscious Cobin away for treatment.

Already bored with the banquet, Marcus left the hall without hesitation, carrying Cobin.

*

“Sir Shane… What kind of training has Ariel undergone?”

“…I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. Her strength is like an ogre’s.”

“Calling a lady an ogre is going too far.”

“She might be stronger than an ogre. With that petite frame… It’s truly unbelievable.”

Kal and Shane were sitting in a corner of the banquet hall, chatting.

Their conversation was about the duel between Ariel and Cobin moments ago.

‘Wait… Can that even be called a duel? It was so one-sided….’

Kal thought this as he gazed at Ariel, who was sitting far away.

After defeating Cobin, Ariel had returned to her seat and was now eating chocolate cake.

As if nothing had happened, with a calm expression.

After Marcus took Cobin away, the banquet resumed, and people began to take an interest in Ariel.

“Hi, your name’s Ariel, right? You’re really strong.”

“No wonder Duke Kal is courting you. Northerners like strong women, don’t they?”

“I heard that too. But wasn’t it a marriage proposal? Though she rejected it….”

“Ariel, why did you reject Duke Kal? Someone like him is amazing….”

Ariel, surrounded by numerous noble ladies, silently continued to munch on her cake.

Her expression was unreadable, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

“Alright, alright, thanks for the interest, but let’s give her a break. Ariel must be tired after the duel with Cobin.”

Selly shooed the ladies away, as if protecting Ariel.

‘She does look tired….’

Kal sipped his drink while continuing to observe Ariel.

Ariel’s eyes were half-closed, and her hand movements as she ate the cake were slowing down.

Eventually, she closed her eyes and dropped her fork with a clatter.

“Huh? Ariel, are you okay?”

Selly gently shook Ariel’s shoulder. Ariel opened her eyes groggily, but her gaze was unfocused.

“Ariel, do you want to get some fresh air?”

“Mm.”

And so, Selly and Ariel walked out to the banquet hall’s terrace.

“Sir Shane.”

Kal spoke in a slightly solemn tone.

“This… It’s not going to work.”

“What do you mean, ‘not going to work’?”

“I’m leaving the city at dawn tomorrow, which means I’ll have to part ways with Ariel.”

“Part ways….”

Shane looked puzzled.

Was there really anything to part ways over? It didn’t seem like it.

“So, I need to tell her how I feel right now.”

At Kal’s words, Shane’s eyes widened.

“You mean….”

“I’m going to confess.”

“Young master… That’s….”

“I’m not expecting anything. I just want to let her know how I feel. Even if Ariel doesn’t accept it.”

“……”

Seeing Kal’s determined expression, Shane couldn’t bring himself to stop him.

Shane had been through similar times in his youth and knew that nothing could stop someone in that state.

“Understood, young master.”

All Shane could do was hope Kal wouldn’t get too hurt.

“Then, I’ll be back.”

Kal stood up and walked toward the banquet hall’s terrace.

“Haha, really….”

Shane chuckled as he watched Kal’s retreating figure.

To Shane, Kal always seemed like a kid trying to act mature.

But now, Kal seemed to have grown up a bit.

*

On the terrace, Selly and Ariel leaned on the railing, looking up at the night sky.

The stars seemed especially numerous tonight.

“Ariel, come visit my mansion next time. We don’t have desserts like here, but the garden is huge. We can play there. Ghost and Roo can come too.”

“Mm.”

“And if we’re lucky enough to get my father’s permission, we can even visit a nearby city. They might have a Delight there, so we could have strawberry tarts. And….”

Selly rambled on without pause.

She had to leave for the capital at dawn tomorrow, so there wasn’t much time left to spend with Ariel.

“It’s a shame. If it weren’t for the princess’s birthday party, I’d want to stay in this city and keep hanging out with you… There’s still so much we haven’t done….”

Just then, footsteps were heard from behind.

Selly turned to see a handsome black-haired boy approaching.

It was Kal.

“Selly, long time no see.”

Kal and Selly had exchanged greetings a few times before. They weren’t close, but they knew each other.

“Duke Kal, what brings you here?”

“Uh, um, could you give us a moment? I need to talk to Ariel….”

Seeing Kal fidget, Selly almost burst out laughing.

The usually composed Duke of the North, who remained indifferent even in front of Princess Illiana, now looked like a lovestruck boy.

It was oddly endearing, and Selly felt like teasing him, but she decided to step aside gracefully.

“Ariel, I’ll head back in first. Duke Kal, feel free to talk.”

“Thank you.”

As Selly left, Kal took a deep breath and called out to Ariel.

“Ahem, ahem, Ariel.”

Ariel, who had been gazing at the night sky, slowly turned her head.

Her slightly drowsy red eyes stared intently at Kal.

That blank stare made Kal hesitate, but he steeled himself and pulled something out of his pocket.

“This….”

What Kal pulled out was a ring.

A ring bearing the crest of the Kastark family.

“I’ll give this to you….”

Kal slipped the ring onto Ariel’s finger, and Ariel looked at it with a puzzled expression.

If it were any other noble lady, they would’ve immediately understood Kal’s intentions.

A man giving a family crest ring meant a marriage proposal.

“Uh, if you wear this ring… You’ll be treated with the utmost respect anywhere in the North….”

Kal mumbled, biting his lip.

This wasn’t what he had planned to say. He had prepared something much more confident and impressive.

But standing in front of Ariel, his mind went blank.

“Uh, there are a lot of stars tonight.”

Kal awkwardly looked up at the sky.

From the moment he put the ring on her finger, he couldn’t bring himself to meet Ariel’s gaze.

If their eyes met, he felt like his heart would explode.

“Uh, anyway, Ariel, I’m leaving for the capital at dawn tomorrow. So, um, thanks for accepting the ring… Come visit the North sometime. It’s cold, but the scenery is worth it….”

Kal rambled on.

He didn’t even know what he was saying.

The words in his head were one thing, but his mouth was running on its own.

Realizing this wasn’t working, Kal steeled himself and turned to face Ariel.

“So, Ariel….”

At that moment, with a soft thud, Ariel collapsed to the ground.

“Ariel…?”

Kal quickly checked Ariel’s condition.

He hesitated to touch her, but he had no choice.

This might be an emergency. Ariel had suddenly collapsed.

To check if she was breathing, Kal brought his hand close to her nose.

Fortunately, she was breathing. It was calm and steady. But she was unconscious.

Kal remembered what Shane had taught him about such situations.

‘C-CPR….’

Kal’s face turned red.

But he quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts.

If someone collapses suddenly, acting quickly is crucial. There was no time to hesitate.

“Alright!”

Kal closed his eyes tightly and moved his lips closer.

Then, he felt something cool yet soft against his lips.

Kal opened his eyes without realizing it.

“!”

In that instant, Kal felt his heart drop.

Ariel had opened her eyes and was staring at him.

What had touched Kal’s lips was Ariel’s palm.

She had reached out and stopped him.

To anyone watching, it would’ve looked suspicious.

“A-Ariel. T-This is….”

Kal hurriedly stood up, only to bump into someone behind him.

“……”

Kal slowly turned around.

Standing behind him was Selly.

“Duke Kal… What were you trying to do just now….”

Selly looked at Kal with disbelief.